A Place at the Table: Christmas after loss

Christmas is built on the people we love. So when someone is missing, it can feel like the whole season is pointing at the gap.

This book is about a different way of doing Christmas.

Not pretending they were never here. Not letting the loss swallow everything. But giving them a place. Remembering them, talking about them, and showing your love for them, while still enjoying the people who are here with you.

Inside, I share what I’ve learned from years of sitting with grieving families as a celebrant and grief coach, and from my own Christmases since my dad died.

You’ll find:

• Why Christmas hurts so much, and why that isn’t you doing grief wrong
• Ways to remember them, express your love, and honour them at Christmas
• How to talk to your family before the day, so nobody is left guessing
• What to do with the cards, the presents, the decorations and the empty chair
• Getting through Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the moments that catch you
• What to say when other people don’t get it
• The days after, New Year and January

Short chapters, each ending with something to try and a question to sit with. Easy to read on a hard evening.

Whether this is your first Christmas without them or your tenth, I hope it helps you find a place for them at your table.

Matt